Principal Engineer (Machine Learning)

About Us

At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have.

We believe collaboration thrives in person. Most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when it’s needed. This model supports real-time problem-solving, stronger relationships, and the kind of precision that drives great outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement new ML models and pipelines to support efficient model training, validation, and real-time inference.
• Optimize existing ML models and pipelines.
• Ensure smooth integration of ML solutions into production systems, focusing on performance, reliability, and scalability.
• Build automation tools for continuous integration, delivery, and deployment of backend and ML components.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams (product, QA, DevOps, and customer support) to align development efforts with business needs.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues that arise within both the backend infrastructure and ML models.
• Ensure code quality, security, and data privacy by following industry best practices.
• Maintain clear and concise documentation for system architecture, API endpoints, and ML model integration processes.

Requirements

• 4+ years of experience using Python to build complex backend systems; ML experience is preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in software development.
• Strong background in machine learning and ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Experience with cloud-native service development stack on GCP is a plus.
• Solid grasp of RESTful API design and microservices architecture.
• Skilled in diagnosing and solving complex problems while providing detailed technical analysis.
• Attention to detail and high behavioral standards.
• Team player with a can-do attitude to tackle difficult problems and inspire your team.
• High energy and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent collaboration and communication with multiple teams.
• Fast learner and eager to absorb new emerging technologies.
• M.S./B.S. degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience.

Pay

The starting base salary for this position is expected to be in the range of $185,200.00 - $299,475.00 per year. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus.

Benefits

A description of our employee benefits may be found here.